Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-09-26
Up AND down RELIGION.
The Free Masons of the World Used
the Plummet to See Whether
the Wall was Straight.
The Plumb Line will b. Held TO ali the
Religions Of the World Snd
They will be Trie6.
The Preacher Says the Prsaent IS n Solemn
Time with This Eation-How
Will IL End:
special 70 the Gazette.

congregation had sung the long meter
doxoIogy in the Brooklyn tabernacle this
morning, DR.. Talmage expounded the
sixth chapter OF the second epis'Ie t, the
C0.intnia1s, Setting forth the importance
OF separation from b&d fellowship, and
saying thai man is no better than the
company ne keeps. Professor Henry
Eyre Brown played al organ solo, sonata
No. l, in d minor by GGillmant. The
subject Of the sermon was "a Straight
Up-snc- Down Religion,' snd the text
was Amos VII, V. s: "And the Lord said
unto me. Amos: what seest thou? and
said, d plumb line" Dr. Talmgge said
The solid masonry OF the world mas to
ms fascination. Walk about some OF
the triumphal arches of the cathTedrals,
four or six hundred years old, ana gee
tncI stand as erect as when they were
DuLdgd, Ey&ljs Of great height for Centu-
RES, nor bending quarter of an inch
this way OF that. 50 greatly honored
were the masOn5 who 5uilded these walls
l1a. they were free IRON taxation and
CALLED GREE" MAsoNs.
The tr0weI gets most of tne credit for
those building, snd its clear ringing on
stone and brick has sounded across the
ages. But there IS another Implement Of
lust Is much Importance So the tr0Wel,
and ny text recognizes it. Bricklsyers,
and stone masous, snd carpenters, Il the
building OF walls, use an instrument
made Of cord, al the end of which lump
Of lead is fastened They drop It over
the side Of the wall, and, s. tue plum met
naturally seeks the centre Of gravity il
vi no, orb a
the wall recedes, and where it bulges
out, and Just what is the perpendic-
UIs- Oar text represents God as stand
ilg on he wall OF character, which the
Isrseitas had built, and IN that way
measuring i. "AGG the Lord said unto
me, Amos, what secst thou? and s5id
a plumb inc "
What Sle world wants is a straight up
and-dowB religion. Much OF the social
cd pjety OF the day bends this way aud
that, TO suit the times. L is horizontal
with lo7y state Of sentiment and morals
We have ell been buL5iug g wall Of
character, and 1T IS glarluglv imparfec'
and needs reconstruction. How shal; il
be brought into the perpendicular? Only
by the divine measurement. "And tn,
Lord said 20 Ne, AmGs, what sees
thou? and | said, A plumb line"
The whole tendency of the times is :,
make Us aC5 by the standard o. WA
others do. Il tHeg play cards, We pla.
cards. Il they dAuce, we dance. If the,
read certain styles of book, We res,
them. We
THROW OVER THE WALL
OF our character the tangled plumb liz
Of other lives and reject the infa!HoI
test which Amos saw. The question 10
me should not be what you think is right
Uue what God tanks is right This per
petaal reference TO the behavior OF Others
rs though 1t decided anything but hum2I
lallibility, is 3 mistake as wide as til
world. There sre 10 600 plumb lines
use, but Only one IS true sud exact, an
tusC is the line of GODS eternal right
There j. 8 mighty attempt being msde |
reconstruct and tx up the Ten Command
L69t5. To many they seem TOO rigid. Tn
tower OF Piss leans over about thirteen
feet from the perpendicular, and peopl
20 thousands OF miles to see It's gracefU
inclination, and by extra braces and var
l0ua architectural coHtriY&nces it is KEEL
leaning from century 10 century. WI
rot nave the ten granite blocks {
Sinai set little sslsnt? Why not hsv
yle pillar Of truth leah
ing towerf WY ig not On ellipse &
good as square? Why is not an obliqu
81 good IS straight up and down? N
friends, we must hgve q standard; sha
il be Gods or mans?
The divine plumb line needs to b
thrown over all merchandise. Thousand
OF years dgo Solomon discovered the tel
dency of buyers to depreciate goods. Il
saw msn beating down an article low,
and lower, and saying it was rCt wor;
the price asked, and when he had pun
Chased st the lowest point he told every
body what q sharp bargain ne had struC
snd how he had 2utwitted the meTchan
Proverbs Xxx, il; az is naught, it
n6ught, saith the buyer; bat when be
gone his way then he boasteth."
utterly askew Is society in this matte
that you seldom find seller asking Il
price that he expects TO get. He puts {
3 higher value than ne proposes 70 r
ceive, knowing that : e will have to dr0
Aud if he wants fifty
HE ASKS sEvENTY-FIYE
Ard If he wants 2000 be asks $500. 4"
is naught," salth the buyer. "The fabr
is detective; the style of goods is poe
can get elsewhere 3 better article at
smaller price. Il is out Of fashion; 1t
damaged; ii viii fade; it will not we
we'll" After Z while the merchant fro
ver-persusslOn OF from desire TO dispo
Of thar particular stock Of goods. say
We'll, take it st your own price," s.
TIE purchaser goes home with light So
aud calls into his private Office his cont
Dental friends, and chuckles while
tells how inst for half price he got t
goods. In other words, he lies and "
proud OF il. Nothing would make tim
IS good, and the earning Of iyelihc
SO easy, IS the universal adoption OF
lsw Of right Suspicion strikes throu
au bargaia making. Men who 5
know not whether they viii eJ
get the money. Purchasers know !
whether the goods shi ped viii be {
c0rding 20 the sample. And WHIT, W
the large number of clerks who are ms
ing false entries and then abscond!ng
Canada, ard the explosion Of firms Il
fail fer millions of dollars, honest n
sre st their wits end &c make livi-
he who stands up amid ST the pressu
and does right is accomplishing son
thing toward the establishment OF b
commercial prosperity. | have d'
sympathy for the laooring classes
41Sr pr,r MO m